


This World Diverged

by TransverseLadybird



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Canon-Typical Violence, Episode: s01e10 This World Inverted, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-18 08:38:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14209323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransverseLadybird/pseuds/TransverseLadybird
Summary: Other!Magnus tries to help Clary save her world, but she doesn't remember that it needs saving, and he can't snap her out of it.Now with the Inverted World's defences exposed, it's up to Magnus and those with magic to reunite the Shadowhunters and Downworlders to protect their world.Canon divergence: Clary assimilates into the Inverted World, and the peaceful world is once again under threat, but with no one ready to defend it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm aware characterizing the Inverted World characters is dicey, but I'm going with the theory that they're the exact same people deep down, they're just the versions of themselves they would have become in peacetime.

"Thanks, but, I gotta go," said Magnus, turning his back on the tall Lightwood and trying to find Clary. The room was full of people. Magnus shuddered, but then spotted Clary. Let's get this over with.

"Come on, let's go," he said, grabbing her arm.

She resisted. "Who are you?"

"Clary. It's me, Magnus."

"Do I know you?"

"Focus," he said, his heart hammering. He couldn't let her assimilate.

"Ok seriously, let go of me." She turned to flee and Magnus reacted instinctively.

With a click of his fingers, he materialised Chairman Meow. It was the first thing he thought of, which said far too much about who he'd become. She looked stunned.

"What is wrong with you?"

 _Damn it_. Magnus tried again. Church. He had to get away from his cats.

"Dude, I..." She started and he tried again. She stared at the images in his hands as he cycled through them faster, showing her runes, and memories, but he couldn't do more than the slight projection.

She laughed uncertaintly, and something seemed to dawn on her. "Oh, you're one of Dad's developers?" She asked. "It's pretty good tech."

"It's not tech, Clary," he said urgently. Clary stared at him like she knew he was telling a joke but she didn't get why it was funny. She shook her head, turning away with a polite smile.

Magnus knew where the portal was. He _might_ be able to close it; his magic was starting to flow back, but the Clary who'd come through from another dimension had needed it. Urgently. What would happen if her mission was unsuccessful?  
Magnus turned away, his heart beating fast. _What could he do?_

"I can't very well be responsible for you if you wander off," said a flirty voice behind him. Magnus whirled to see the tall boy who'd let him into the party. Alec Lightwood. Magnus wrinkled his nose. He remembered the Lightwoods from before the fall of demons. He'd never had much time for them then, either. This one might be gorgeous, but he appeared to have inherited the Lightwood arrogance. And in excess.

"Thanks for your help," he said, "but I came here for a reason." He looked back to Clary.

"Doesn't look like she wants to talk to you," said Alec, and his flirty tone was suddenly more serious. Almost protective. Looked like the Lightwoods and Morgensterns had stayed friends. _Nephilim_ calls to _Nephilim_ , he thought with distaste. Their culture may have died out, but they were still interbreeding; Magnus could smell the Angel on all of them.

"Clary wasn't my mission," he said lightly, swallowing his fear. He needed to close that portal. He must have been convincing because Alec smiled, the warmth returning to his eyes.

"How mysterious," said Alec, "do tell me more. Perhaps over another drink?"

"I'm a developer," Magnus invented, trying to think quickly. He needed a reason to stay so he could find the portal. Without Clary's necklace, he was going to be useless.

Alec mistranslated his desperation, and grinned. "You should meet my sister. She loves orphans in need."

Izzy Lightwood. Magnus had done his research before arriving. Maybe she was the right person to talk to. If she was one of the senior developers here, it would benefit him to get in her good books. Maybe she was also close with Clary.

"Izzy," called Alec, gesturing. Izzy turned instantly and skipped to her brother's side. She was superhumanly graceful. The angel blood was still strong in their bloodlines. Maybe Magnus shouldn't have let himself lose track of the shadow world all these years. The blood was still there, and angels were still dangerous to those with demon blood.

"Who is this?" She asked. Her grin was as full of genuine warmth as Alec's. Despite himself, he found himself warming to them, more so when Alec threw a casual hand over his sister's shoulder. The love and warmth surrounding them was as seductive as a drug after over a hundred years of closing himself off to humans.

"This gorgeous boy is an ambitious developer," said Alec, winking sideways to Magnus. "He crashed the party," he added in a theatrical aside.

"Crashed the party?" Asked Izzy, eyes sparkling. "That's brave. Guessing you want to meet the man of the hour?"

 _What the hell am I getting myself into?_ Magnus thought. He could feel himself getting deeper into this lie, and all he wanted was to make sure this world was safe.

His magic wasn't stable; he had to handle this the mundane way.

"Sure," he said, through gritted teeth and a smile that felt ready to crack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the set-up. The other chapters will be longer once we get into the story :)


	2. Chapter 2

Jace came to himself with Clary in his arms. Music found its way into his ears and he realised they were dancing. He could only see the top of her head but she looked strange. Relaxed. He'd never seen her this relaxed.

"Clary?" He whispered. She looked up and her face looked different as well. Soft.

"Clary, what's happening?"

"We're dancing," she smiled. "You ok?"

"Where are we?"

"The Institute," she said with a frown. "What's wrong, Jace? You look... stressed out."

"We need to find that portal, Clary. A demon's come through from our world. We need to find it and get rid of it, and we need to find Valentine."

"Dad's over there," she laughed, pointing. Valentine was dancing with Jocelyn. Jace's whole body seemed to seize up. "You just met him." She frowned in confusion then her whole face seemed to light up. "Wait, does this mean you're gonna start doing cosplay with me and Simon? You'll love it, I promise!" She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight.

Jace watched Valentine over Clary's shoulder. He stopped dancing as Alec, Izzy, and Magnus walked up to him, Izzy talking animatedly.

"What the hell?" He muttered. He had never seen his siblings like this, and he barely recognised Magnus. Alec looked... good. He was walking confidently, almost strutting, and he looked like he'd spent more than two seconds on his appearance. Was that... Was that a flirty smile on his face? And Izzy was wearing glasses? No shadowhunters wear glasses. And in a sparkling blue dress. Not black or dark red. Blue.

He almost forgot about Clary as he focused on these strangers with his siblings' faces. When he refocused she was looking up at him, her head cocked. "You're really worried you made a bad impression, aren't you?" She asked, putting one hand on his cheek. The warmth of her hand sent tingles running through his bloodstream. "Don't worry. He'll love you."

"Excuse me," he said, extricating himself from her arms with great difficulty. He wanted to stay there forever.

"No worries," she smiled. "I'm gonna go get another drink. Meet me at the bar?" She asked.

He nodded, not trusting his voice. She gave him another confused look, but turned her back. Relief softened his knees. This wasn't his Clary. He needed to find his Clary. Magnus. Magnus had been a warlock for centuries. He would have been alive before the fall of demons. Right now, Jace needed someone who wouldn't look at him like he was crazy.

"Magnus," said Jace, joining the group of his non-siblings.

They all looked at him, shocked. "Do you know Jace?" Asked Alec, his voice prickly. Jace almost hugged him. This was the Alec he knew.

"Yeah, uh," started Magnus, looking intently at Jace, like he was trying to figure something out.

"Book club," finished Jace.

"You read?" Izzy asked, stunned. Jace rolled his eyes.

"Seems you know all of my friends," said Alec, putting his hand on Magnus's shoulder gently.

"Yeah, uh. Actually, do you mind if you excuse us? I'd love to catch up with Jace here." He shrugged out from under Alec's hand and Jace led him quickly away.

"Did Clary come to you?" Asked Jace quickly, hoping against hope that she'd explained the situation to Magnus while she was still her.

"You're from the same dimension?" He asked. It wasn't really a question. "She did, but now she doesn't remember. She's assimilated into this dimension. I couldn't crack her out of it."

"We have to get her back. We have to get through that portal."

"There's no easy fix," said Magnus. "Did no one explain to you how it works?"

"Yeah, but we can remind her who she really is."

"This is who she really is. You need to get through that portal. You're putting my world at risk by being here. And you need to close the rift you came through."

"It's closed," said Jace tersely. "I'm not going anywhere without Clary."

A crash sounded from under their feet.

"What the hell?" Asked Magnus.

"A demon came through. That's why I followed."

A rush of power seemed to flow up through Magnus and he felt the magic crackle over his skin. Luckily the party involved strange lighting schemes, because he was sure the Nephilim-born would still be able to see his magic. He pushed it back into his skin, and by the time he had it under control, his anger was manageable.

"What was that?" Asked Jace; he'd noticed Magnus lose control.

"You let a demon into my world," hissed Magnus. "A world that has no defences." It may have been over a hundred years, but the instincts of his earlier self, when he was one of the most powerful warlocks in the world, were starting to resurface with his magic.

Magnus whirled away. No more handling this like a mundane. A demon had returned to the world. "Get Clary's necklace and meet me in the basement," he said before darting away. He put a glamour over himself. He should thank Jace, he thought. The surge of rage had brought his magic back to his fingertips, if only temporarily. The glamour seemed laughably easy.

He slipped through the door to the basement and almost cried out when he reached it. It was empty, but he could feel the power left behind. The demon had escaped. If the demon opened the rift... His magic flared up again, this time in response to the wave of cold fear that swamped him. He stumbled as fear and magic left him weak.

"Woah." Jace caught him. "What's wrong?"

"It's gone," he said. He couldn't summon the energy to be angry at Jace. He was only trying to save his own world.

He needed to warn the other warlocks. The ones that are left, he thought, pain following the thought. Closing the rift had taken an enormous amount of power, and not all the warlocks had survived. The ones that had had gone underground. He hadn't seen another warlock for a century.

"I have to make sure Clary's ok."

"No," said Magnus, his voice reverberating around the basement. "You spend time with this world's Clary; happy, at peace, and in love with you, and you'll lose yourself just as she did."

Magnus could see the exact thought process his words prompted. Staying here, staying with a happy version of Clary, being happy, not having to be a Shadowhunter anymore. He wanted to assimilate. Magnus, who'd built up his walls higher than a fortress over the last couple of centuries, was almost touched.

"Clary said you came here because your world is in danger." Jace looked ready to interrupt, but Magnus held up his hand. "If you send this world's Clary through to your world, her consciousness will be dominant. She will have no desire to assimilate. You'd destroy an innocent girl and maybe even your Clary as well. I won't let that happen. Give me the necklace and I can open the portal. I will send you wherever you need to go to save your world. I will try to save your Clary, but for now you need to go."

Apparently the love-sick Nephilim was going to have one more crack at arguing. "I can help you fight the demon."

"Without a Stele? While fighting off assimilation? You are no use to your world here. And you are of no more use to mine than this world's version." It was harsh, but Magnus had to close this portal and he intended to do it with Jace on the other side. The boy had to be saved from himself.

"No," said Jace. "I won't leave her." He clutched his hand around the necklace tighter and turned and walked away from Magnus.

Magnus's magic crackled out almost without conscious thought and drew the boy back to him.

He took the gem and slotted it into the wall, opening the portal. He swirled his hands; the added flourish made the magic flow easier. Something to thank Clary for.

"Go save your world, Shadowhunter," he said, pushing the boy towards the portal, bracketing him in his magic.

"Send her back to me, Magnus," said Jace, glaring down at the warlock. Magnus nodded. He owed the girl that much.

"I'll do my best."

Magnus watched as the boy stepped towards the portal, never once taking his eyes off the door to the party, as if he could see through the door to the girl on the other side. He disappeared and the portal shimmered.

Magnus's magic flowed to his fingertips and he spread it along the portal, sealing it. He reached forward and plucked the purple stone from the wall. He shouldn't have. If someone stole it from him... but the look on Jace's face had convinced him.

Despite the impossible chance of success, he would try to return Clary to them. The girl who had returned his life to him deserved another chance.

He stared at the portal he was creating and then wiped his hands across it, vanishing it. He couldn't simply vanish from the party. It seemed a small concern, perhaps, but he needed to stay connected to the Nephilim party if he had a hope in hell of getting Clary back to her world.

His head ached; his tenuous grasp on his magic seemed to be slipping. The only glamour he kept up was the one over his eyes, which had become so ingrained over the centuries he doubted he could reveal his true eyes if he'd wanted to.

His hopes plummeted. He had to stop a demon and save an alternative universe Clary. He'd only been able to feel the demon's energy up close after it had used it's powers.This was going to be impossible...

This terrible train of thought was interrupted by the Lightwood siblings.

"Where did you get to?" Asked Izzy, grinning like Magnus was her best friend in the world. He almost had to take a step back from her enthusiasm, it was so all powerful.

_Shit._ The Jace of this universe wouldn't know Magnus. Memory implantation. He could do it. It didn't require a lot of power, because memories are tenuous things.

All Magnus would have to do would be to allow this Jace to access that portion of Jace's memories. He'd know who Magnus was, and he could add a gentle thought that they were going to start a book club together. The pain shooting through Magnus' head almost made him pass out. He'd spent too long focusing on his magic, and lost track of the conversation. Both Lightwoods were frowning in concern.

Magnus muttered something about the bathroom, and turned. Jace was across the room. He organised his thoughts, so he could magic Jace quickly and quietly. He walked confidently, and let just a trickle of magic flow from his fingers as he passed Jace and Clary slow dancing. Jace's eyes slid out of focus, then back. Only seconds had passed but now Magnus felt confident that if asked, Jace could say that Magnus was someone he knew vaguely from book club.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. For a second his heart stopped. One of them must have seen him do magic. But when he turned it was only Alec, smiling.

"I couldn't help but notice you're walking towards the exit instead of the bathrooms," he drawled softly. "I couldn't let you leave without getting your number." He winked, and slid his hand into a pocket, pulling out his phone and offering it to Magnus.

Confident. Cocky. Whatever it was, Magnus should absolutely not be charmed by it. And he certainly shouldn't be encouraging the man. He was only putting his number in to stay connected to Clary. He couldn't quite convince himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**A New Life**

 

Magnus threw himself into his armchair. A week with no sign of the demon. He hoped against hope that it meant the demon's power was too weak in this dimension for him to detect. He still couldn't sense any other warlocks, and trying to find them the mortal way had proved a dead end, too. He just didn't have any skills in that sort of tracking.

The sharp sound of a ringing phone woke him. He couldn't do a client right now. Then he realised it was dark outside and it was his personal phone ringing.

"Hello?" He mumbled, realising he hadn't checked the caller id.

"Hi Magnus," came the smooth voice on the other end. Magnus's heart jumped. Alec.

He checked the time and jumped to his feet.

"I'm so sorry, Alexander," he said, flurried. He was already half an hour late for their date.

"I'll wait," said Alec, "as long as there is a thrilling story waiting for me."

"Not too thrilling," said Magnus lightly. Tracking a demon should be par for the course for a warlock. Magnus looked down at himself and groaned. He used to pay attention to his appearance; people always paid more for a warlock who _looked_ impressive. Now he was wearing a white shirt and a grey cardigan. He hadn't needed to impress for a long time.

He went to his wardrobe but he hadn't kept any of his old clothes and if he had, they'd be centuries out of date. The best he could do was his dinner jacket.

 

***

 

Alec was waiting as patiently as he'd promised. As Magnus walked in, Alec looked up and smiled at him, warmth suffusing his face. Magnus almost tripped as his heart stuttered. He was beautiful, there was no denying that. Even the way he sat spoke of his confidence in his body and himself. Magnus was willing to bet a history in martial arts; this was a man who wasn't scared of much.

"Sorry I'm late," said Magnus, looking at his feet and trying to regain normal breathing patterns. _What am I doing? With a_ Nephilim _?_

"No problem. Did you want something to eat, or should we skip straight to drinks?"

"I don't mind. If you want to eat..."

Alec smiled and gestured to the waiter. He rattled off an order that Magnus couldn't care less about. He watched the man who under other circumstances would be involved in a war for the souls of mundanes. Fate was a strange thing.

"So what do you do, Alexander?" Asked Magnus when Alec only smiled at him.

"Why do you call me Alexander?" He asked, still smiling, but somewhat intense suddenly.

"That's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but no one ever calls me that."

Magnus shrugged. "There is power in proper names."

Alec smile lightened again, and the intensity of their speedy exchange released. "I'm an event coordinator."

"Party planner?"

"Not exactly. More like a professional bossy bitch." He grinned self-deprecatingly at his own words. "I'm working for the Institute at the moment. I organise all their events, conferences, launches, et cetera," he trailed off waving his hand to indicate it encompassed a wide range.

"What about you?" Asked Alec. "You said you're a developer?"

 _Shit_ , thought Magnus. Lying was not a good start.

"Self employed," he said, neither confirming nor denying.

"That can be tough," said Alec, smiling sympathetically but when Magnus only nodded, Alec had the sensitivity to change the topic away from work.

Over a plate of tapas, and too many Sangrias, they found an easy thread of conversation about art. Alec's family, whom he freely told Magnus about, kept many artifacts passed down through generations. Alec's stories were populated freely with his loved ones, and Magnus learnt easily how much he loved his siblings, Izzy and Max, and his friends.

As Magnus mostly listened he realised how sparsely populated his own life was. He had no anectodes to tell outside of his clients. He found himself telling a story about Ragnor, but had to doctor it as he went to hide the fact that it had taken place two centuries ago.

Magnus felt far too tipsy by the end of the night and as they walked into the cool air, only leaving because the restaurant was closing, he stumbled. Alec caught his arm, and didn't let go. It felt nice, the taller man's arm linked with own.

"So, my apartment's not far from here," said Alec flirtatiously.

Magnus almost agreed and then caught himself. "I should get home," he said stiffly. At least the cool air was sobering him up.

Alec turned his body so they were facing each other, their arms still linked. He was very close. "Can we do this another time?" Asked Alec and Magnus saw through the perfect confidence for the first time. He was truly worried Magnus might say no.

"I'd like that," said Magnus, with a small smile.

 

***

 

Magnus lay on the floor of his loft; he didn't even have the energy to make it to his bed. Over a week with no sign of the demon, then he'd finally felt it. It had gained in power. It was finally dead, but it had taken the rest of Magnus's strength with it; he was too unpracticed. His stamina was almost non-existent.

A knock on his door shattered his skull. _They'll go away_. He tried to force the thought into the intruder's brain but it didn't work. The knock came again and then the door unclicked. He hadn't closed it properly in his fatigue.

"Shit, Magnus, are you ok?"

Magnus opened his eyes. Alec Lightwood was leaning over him, kneeling beside what presumably looked like a very good impersonation of a corpse.

"M'fine," he muttered, waving a hand to indicate his wellness.

"What on earth happened?" _What happened? Got rid of a demon. Exhausted my magic supplies. Stopped global catastrophe._

"Low blood pressure," he muttered. It was an old excuse, one that he hadn't had to dust off in a while.

Alec was holding his hand, and suddenly Magnus could _feel_ the energy thrumming through his body. _What the hell?_

His head cleared, and he sat up. Alec looked pale. Too pale. Alec had given him energy. How? He shouldn't know how to do that.

Alec laughed shakily. "Whew. Don't scare me like that."

Magnus shook his head, still frowning. "Sorry," he said distractedly, getting to his feet slowly.

"Can I get you something?"

"No, I-I seem to be perfectly recovered, thank you." His voice wasn't convincing, obviously, because Alec stayed holding Magnus's arm and steered him to the couch to sit.

"Does that happen often?"

"It hasn't happened in a while." Magnus stared at Alec, whose face was as innocent as ever. If he was wrong, and he had been trained as a Nephilim, but no, the energy was raw. This was not a honed warrior, this was just an open-hearted angel-blooded creature whose compassion had opened up an energy channel.

Magnus had started warming to the man enough to agree to a second date, but this was something else. In order to accidentally give Magnus his strength, he must have an open heart indeed.

 

***

 

Magnus wandered through the old house with one eye on the artifacts, and one eye on Alec. The mansion, an old Shadowhunter refuge, was now the Lightwood family home but, in the arrogance of the Nephilim, they had not destroyed any of the magic. He couldn't help grimacing at how careless it was to combine magic with people who had no idea of its existence.

Alec, on the other hand, simply enjoyed the history; the old books he couldn't read, the crystals that were so beautifully carved. Magnus saw a warlock book and flinched. They must have taken it after the fall of the Demons.

When Alec put his arm through Magnus's, he squeezed back. He'd been forced to re-evaluate his opinion of the oldest Lightwood. He had a certain image in public, but once the mask had started dropping, Magnus could see a genuinely warm-hearted person whose main identity was who he was to other people; a loving brother and a loyal friend.

"You really love all this stuff, don't you?" Asked Alec quietly.

Magnus smiled. "I do."

Alec laughed to himself, and Magnus could feel his eyes. "I should definitely not be turned on by that, but you can't really help what you're attracted to." Alec's voice was low and flirty, sending a tingle through Magnus's blood.

He looked up to see Alec staring straight down at him. Alec lowered his face slowly, giving Magnus plenty of time to stop him. He couldn't find it in himself to want to.

Their lips meeting seemed to spark explosions behind his eyes; it had been such a long time and as Alec wound one hand around his waist, he leant into it, completely surrendering to the rightness of the sensation. All of his cautions, reservations, and fears seemed to fly away.

The lips withdrew slightly and Magnus opened his eyes. The way Alec was looking at him was sinful and sent heat rushing through his stomach, but it also reawakened his fears. He might be centuries old, but Magnus had never stopped being foolish. He had allowed himself to start having _feelings_ for the Nephilim. That couldn't happen. What if the Nephilim - his brain seemed to refuse to call him Alec in these fears - only wanted Magnus superficially? He'd never been good at that, and now that it had been a century without any affection, his heart was rushing into this connection that would only leave him broken.

He moved back almost without meaning to, and Alec's joyful grin vanished. "I'm sorry," said Alec, frowning in confusion, "are you ok with this?"

Magnus bit his lip. _Yes? And no?_ "It's - it's been a while," he said truthfully.

Alec's smile returned cautiously. "We can take it slow," he said, and there was only transparency in the statement; no resentment for it, just total willingness to wait for Magnus to be ready.

Maybe Alexander Lightwood would not break his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't help the book quote at the end there ;)  
> Let me know how it's going. I have a plan for this story, so it's getting written much faster than I thought it would :) Yay!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so addicted to writing this story. I've never written a fic this fast! Thanks to all who are reading and (hopefully still) enjoying :)

**The shadow world creeps back in**

 

The prickle of magic against his senses had been bothering him for days, but he hadn't been able to get a sense of it. Now it was growing stronger. A warlock was in town. Today was the first time he'd been able to identify it. It had changed over the decades, but it was still unmistakably Ragnor's magic.

He was therefore unsurprised to find the man himself sitting in his loft one afternoon as though there'd never been a break between meetings.

"You need to keep stronger wards up," he said, without preamble.

"Good to see you, too, old friend," said Magnus, his words only slightly marred by sarcasm.

"I'm serious. You cannot become lax."

"My magic has not entirely recovered from vanquishing the first demon this world has seen for over a hundred years," said Magnus drily.

"Yes," mused Ragnor, "I felt your magic light up and then die. I was afraid it would be something serious. That's why I came."

"It's gone. It was the only one."

"Ah," he said drily, "then the ones I vanquished the other day must have simply been kids playing dress-up. Funny, I could have sworn it was the wrong time of year for Halloween."

Magnus's stomach dropped. "Others."

"Mmmm," said Ragnor. "It would seem demons have found a way back into our world." The casualness of his voice covered a deep pain. Magnus felt it too. So many of their brethren had died to ensure the world's safety, and now it seemed all for nothing. "Of course, I've always known this world would not have been able to get rid of demons forever." Magnus didn't reply, but Ragnor didn't seem to need one. Ragnor had always been paranoid. "We need to find the other warlocks," said Ragnor, rising to his feet.

"Well, don't you just have the rosiest sense of timing?"

"You have a date?" Asked Ragnor with a touch of skepticism, his demeanour softening slightly.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking." He was going to the Lightwood manor for the weekend, but this time, the rest of the "clan" would be there.

"I'm glad to see you trying to live a mundane life, my dear friend," he said, and this time he sounded sincere. "I was tremendously worried about you last time we spoke; you seemed intent on cutting yourself off once you stopped working as a warlock."

Magnus swallowed. That was a pretty fair assessment up until quite recently; more recently than he wanted to admit to Ragnor. But he was needed. "Just allow me to grab some ingredients," he said, turning his back.

"Don't worry. I only came to check on you, I have set up alerts at all the weakest points. If there is any demon activity, I will drag you to the battlefield instantly, never you fear."

"And the other warlocks?" Asked Magnus, confused by Ragnor's rapid preparation to depart. Without him.

"I think I can be trusted to brew up something to restore the remaining warlocks' magics alone. I'll be back for you, my friend." It sounded altogether too much like a threat.

"Good luck," said Magnus facetiously. Magnus was sure that a number of Ragnor's targets would not want his "help".

 

***

 

Magnus was still jumpy when Alec came to pick him up.

"Is everything ok?" Asked Alec, picking up on Magnus's mood.

"I just had a visit from a very old friend. Someone I haven't seen in some time." Magnus tried to make the story mundane, but there wasn't a mundane equivalent for seeing another of your own kind for the first time in a hundred years. His old world was rushing back to him fast, and it left his head whirling. Alec's angel blood only heightened the feeling.

"Oh, did you want to postpone tonight? Catch up with your friend?"

"No," said Magnus lightly. "He's very busy at the moment." _And there's nothing I can do but wait for another demon to make its presence known, if another does._ The waiting itched.

"Good," said Alec effusively, his smile lighting up his face properly, dissipating far too many of Magnus's worries. "I'm excited for you to meet everyone properly."

"Yeah, me too." Magnus didn't try to hide the sarcasm but Alec grinned because he had no idea how truly anxious Magnus was about that prospect.

"You'll be fine."

Driving to the Lightwood Manor went a long way towards relaxing Magnus. Over the last century, he'd become used to travelling without magic, and there was a relaxing component to it that you didn't get with portals.

Turning the corner of the driveway to reveal the others' cars lined up in front of the mansion started it back up again.

Izzy raced out to meet them, seemingly as soon as she'd heard the car pull up. She looked nice in casual clothes.

"Come on, guys, you're late. Simon's making a feast. I'm helping."

Alec mock groaned. "I don't know how he hasn't put a lock on the kitchen door to keep you out."

"Why do you think he suggested she come out to greet you?" Joked Clary, walking at a slower pace behind Izzy.

Alec smiled at Magnus. "Simon's the only one who can cook."

"Hey," said Clary, frowning.

"Jace can bake, and Clary can... experiment," he amended. "But Simon's the only one I'd trust with dinner," he added to Clary.

"That's fair," she grinned. They were a hyper group; superhuman strength and no cause to use it probably. He hadn't been around so much energy in... possibly ever. "Come on, you can make the drinks. We've been drinking beer, but cocktails are better." Alec winked at Magnus and followed Clary into the house.

Izzy grinned wickedly at Magnus and he felt he knew where this was going. "Is this the part where you tell me if I hurt your brother you break my kneecaps?" He joked.

"Are you kidding?" She asked sincerely. "I've never seen him happier. And you're the first person he's ever actually introduced us to." Magnus felt something twist in his stomach. "So if you hurt my brother, you'll _wish_ I only broke your kneecaps." Her grin got even wider; Magnus wasn't even sure that was possible. She linked her arm through Magnus's in much the same way Alec always did; her gestures were as guileless as her brother's.

"Don't worry," said Magnus drily as they walked towards the main entrance, "I'm old-fashioned."

"I thought you were," she said. She was quick to talk and her words flowed with a rapidity and energy that told Magnus she would benefit from a run to release some of the reserves. "You seem older than you are; like you're really wise." Magnus couldn't help it; he laughed. He liked Izzy. "Are you religious? Only Alec told me how interested you were in some of our artifacts and the artwork we've collected. Religious people usually hate it because of the way it shows angels and demons working together but there's something... spiritual about you."

"I'm not religious," he said as soon as there was a gap.

"Neither are we," she said, "but I've always described myself as agnostic because I think there's something more to the life that we see. And Simon's Jewish. What do you think?"

"I think you're right," he said, "but just because something's unseen doesn't mean it's more."

"Well, every time there's a scientific breakthrough we understand the world more, so as soon as scientists discover "magic", it won't be magic anymore, it will just be another branch of science." Magnus laughed again. He was just a really advanced scientist. He liked that. "You don't talk much, do you?" She asked as they stepped into the foyer.

"Maybe because you don't give him a chance," said Jace, coming to greet them from another room. "Nice to see you again, Magnus," he said, shaking his hand. Magnus tried to suppress his smile; he honestly had no concrete idea of how Jace remembered him. He'd only implanted a suggestion, after all.

"You too."

"Cocktails are served," called Clary. Jace grinned and led the way through the foyer to a sort of living room. Alec stood at a bar that could have properly served a pub with the amount of liquor behind it. There was a small dining table, and couches at the far end.

An array of cocktails displayed themselves colourfully along the bar.

"Take your pick," he said to Magnus, winking.

"If I choose wrong, do I have to leave?" He asked as he picked up the least scary looking one; a soft orange that looked like it would be fruity.

"Of course you do," said Izzy, picking up an electric blue beverage, "don't you know how seriously Alec takes his cocktails?"

Alec only raised his eyebrows at Magnus, waiting for his opinion. He took a sip. It was delicious. He nodded in approval. Alec grinned and picked up his own drink; a layered concoction with a truly extravagant straw and enough fruit for a platter.

"Hi," came a voice from behind him and he turned to see the last member of the party. "I'm Simon. Simon Lewis." Magnus put out a hand to shake his. Lewis wasn't a Shadowhunter name, but it was possible that at least one of them had married outside of the circle.

"Magnus Bane."

"Bane?" Asked Simon, with the least serious serious-face Magnus had ever seen. "Like oh, he's the bane of my life?"

Magnus had honestly never had his name questioned before. He took a few seconds to stare at the impudent youth and then decided he'd find him charming. "Says the boy with two first names." Simon laughed.

"Anyway," he said, suddenly formally addressing the room as if he were the butler. "If we can all adjourn to the dining room, your feast awaits." He offered his arm to Izzy, who blushed and took it. He led the way. Jace did the same for Clary, and Magnus raised his eyebrows at Alec, who only laughed and put one arm around Magnus's shoulders, squeezing tight.

"They like to think they're funny." But Magnus liked it. They were all so carefree. He couldn't help comparing them with their ancestors; the strict lives and regiments of the Shadowhunters had not allowed for this kind of fun. The shadow world's army, and would still be if they hadn't defeated demons. He watched Clary laughing at something Jace had just whispered and realised that that was happening; the world that other Clary and Jace had come from were still battling demons. That meant there was probably an Alec who had been raised a Shadowhunter. He shuddered at the thought of his loving Alec being subjected to that upbringing; the cruelty with which they raised their kids would surely have destroyed his passion for life. And Izzy, whose reckless words would never be accepted in the Shadowhunter world, where they were expected to obey without question.

He had to stop thinking like this. The reappearance of his magic, and along with it the ability to detect Shadowhunter descendants, and his now friendship with those people had put him back into the mindset of the "shadow world" versus the "mundane world".

Magnus had to stop in the doorway to the dining room. It looked like it had gone unchanged for at least a century, and it was covered in food enough for at least three times their number. "Are we expecting a Royal delegation?" Asked Magnus quietly.

It seemed that at least Clary heard, because she giggled. "Simon always sends the leftovers to his church."

"And I'm not sure even they manage to get through it all," added Jace, grinning at Simon.

"They have a homeless centre; it all gets eaten," said Alec, more seriously. "When Simon cooks like this, he knows the leftovers won't go to waste. He completely intends it to go there."

Magnus looked at the spread and noticed that it was mostly relatively non-perishable; pastries and quiches that could easily be fridged, sandwiches, breads, stews and soups. He felt a slight lump in his throat; the boy seemed so silly and childish, but he must care deeply to have such thoughts. How long had it been since he'd done something genuinely charitable? Apart from vanquishing a demon. Which, to be fair, had threatened his own peace of mind more than anything.

Izzy sat at the head of the table, with Jace and Clary to each side. Simon gestured to the chair next to Clary for Magnus. Magnus half expected Alec to sit next to him but he sat next to Jace. Simon sat next to Alec.

They were obviously waiting for Magnus to comment, so when he didn't there was a long pause, and then Izzy grinned.

"Couples aren't allowed to sit next to each other," she said, self-deprecatingly.

"Have I been transported to the 1800s?" Asked Magnus.

"You know that tradition?" Asked Jace in surprise. "It's Izzy. She thinks being in a relationship makes people boring."

"I'm such a lucky man," said Simon, rolling his eyes.

A prickle of sensation swept over Magnus as he started eating and he almost choked. "Are you ok?" Asked Clary, patting him on the back.

"It's not that bad, is it?" Asked Simon, grinning but with trepidation in his eyes.

"Of course not!" He said quickly, swallowing his mouthful. The wave of Dorothea's magic spiked and he had to close his eyes and concentrate on his surroundings, putting his personal wards up. They were like children again; learning to control how much their magic spilled over.

"You sure your ok?" Asked Jace, looking at him with concern. He mustered up a grin.

"Absolutely fine," he said airily, taking another bite to prove it.

 

***

 

"I told you you'd be fine," said Alec as they made their way up to Alec's room in the mansion. They'd talked about this in advance. It would be the first time spending the night together. Although Magnus flattered himself that he had plenty of experience, it was a long time ago, and he couldn't remember ever being this nervous about taking a relationship to the next level.

On Alec's part, Magnus thought he'd shown an admirable amount of restraint, since according to sly hints on Izzy's part, Magnus got the impression that Alec's usual approach was much more "casual".

"We've still got two more days," joked Magnus to dissipate his sudden tension. "I still might not survive."

"I will protect you," said Alec, not seeming able to resist kissing Magnus. They still hadn't made it to the room, but Alec pushed Magnus gently against the wall, and deepened the kiss. Lucky the others had disappeared into their various rooms.

"Who says you're not the one I'm scared of?" Said Magnus breathlessly; being kissed should not have this much of an effect. He even had to fight to keep his eyes glamoured. He certainly hadn't had that problem in many decades. _The lights would have to be off for the rest of their night's activities_. Even his thoughts felt breathless.

Alec seemed to take the question more seriously than intended. He pulled back.

"We don't have to..." He paused. "We can just sleep, if..."

"No, it's not that," said Magnus smiling. "I want to, it's just that..."

"It's been a while," said Alec. "I understand. And, Magnus," and the seriousness of his expression warned Magnus to brace. "I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. I don't want to... rush this. I don't want to lose you. Whatever you want is fine."

"I want this," said Magnus, grinning and pulling Alec in for another kiss.

After a few moments, Alec pulled back again. "I may not be completely conventional, but my siblings might prefer we take this to somewhere with a closable door."

"Lockable, I hope."

Alec pulled Magnus through the door and with a very obvious flourish, locked it behind them.

 

***

 

"Mm. Morning," said Magnus, opening his eyes reluctantly.

Alec's arm wrapped around his waist was possibly the nicest thing he'd ever felt.

"Morning," he said, the smile obvious in his voice.

"Well, I guess I better be going," said Magnus. He could tell for exactly how long Alec thought he was serious. His arm tensed and started to withdraw and then he breathed out and his arm relaxed back across Magnus's body.

"Hah hah," he said, readjusting so more of his body was lying across Alec.

"You know we have to get up at some point," pointed out Magnus.

"It's a weekend away. There are no rules on a weekend away."

"Yeah, but you have to show me how far this estate goes. It might take all day."

"You've seen trees before," contradicted Alec sleepily, pulling Magnus closer into his body. Magnus wasn't complaining. A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Moooooooorning boys. I have coffee!" Cried Izzy.

"Unless that's magic coffee, you're in big trouble," called Alec good-naturedly.

"Jace made it, of course it's magic," she called back cheekily.

Alec sighed and looked up at Magnus. "We'd better get dressed. She doesn't have boundaries." But Magnus loved it. He'd never had a family, not a proper one. He wished he had a sister who would wake him up with coffee and a completely inappropriate greeting.

Magnus released Alec, who jumped out of bed with a surplus of energy. Magnus, who was about to get out of bed as well, allowed himself to be distracted by the way Alec looked naked in the sunlight streaming through the window. Magnus was damned.

He shook himself out of the brief stupor and reached for his clothes. Alec picked up stray items and threw them onto the bed; they'd never actually got their bags out of the car. Magnus dressed somewhat reluctantly, but the prospect of coffee and breakfast did sound good.

Alec held the door for him. As they went downstairs they heard the clatter of plates from the kitchen.

"Pancakes?" Asked Simon, seemingly delighted to see them both.

The spread was almost as ridiculous as last night's.

"I thought you were a musician," said Magnus.

"I'm an artist," he said loftily. "My art manifests in multiple ways." Then he grinned slightly and added, "and if I wasn't able to feed hundreds of people, my family would have kicked me out years ago."

 

***

 

As Magnus toweled off his hair, about to join the others downstairs for dinner, a portal opened in his room. Ragnor stepped out, looking more disheveled than Magnus had ever seen him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter instead of sleeping. It's ok, who needs sleep anyway???

As Magnus toweled off his hair, about to join the others downstairs for dinner, a portal opened in his room. Ragnor stepped out, looking more disheveled than Magnus had ever seen him.

"I was right, demonic activity on this side of the rift has weakened it. Edomites have made it through. Only a few, but they seem to be heading here."

"Here?!"

"This place still reeks of Nephilim," said Ragnor. "At least they may be useful."

"Useful if they knew what they were, maybe," he said, his blood running cold at the thought of putting his new friends in danger.

"I can fix that," said Ragnor, the magic building up over his hands.

"No!" Cried Magnus. "We have to head them off. We can't let them hurt mundanes."

"Dorothea's at the perimeter," said Ragnor, ushering Magnus back through the portal. They arrived at the edge of the estate. "Catarina and Vale are trying to seal the rift."

Ragnor was sending fire messages; probably everyone he'd tried to contact.

A shriek sent Magnus's heart into overdrive. One demon had been more than he could handle.

"Here," said Ragnor, handing Magnus a bottle. Magnus trusted him and drank deeply. Artificial strength flowed through him and his magic flowed at full strength, stronger than he'd felt it since before the end of the war. He'd pay for it later, but for now he'd be able to fight. He nodded his thanks.

Another shriek heralded the arrival of a winged Edomite. Ragnor blasted it without a thought while Magnus turned to try to create a ward over the estate; something to slow them down. He could feel Dorothea's magic spreading out over the estate as well and it calmed him. They were in this together.

There was a brief moment as the wards closed and he breathed a sigh of relief, then the horde attacked and he was fighting for his life.

There were three left when his wards broke and one immediately flew straight through towards the house.

Magnus blasted the one he was fighting and chased it, trying to ignore the deep throbbing ache of tiredness that threatened to take him down. He couldn't let it near his friends.

With a flourish, he threw a net of his magic wide. It slowed it down but it didn't stop it. His heart almost stopped when he saw that his friends were outside, watching in horror as the creature from hell descended on them. He threw another net between the Edomite and his friends, which held for a second before it swooped down on Alec, who held his arms up in defence. Izzy threw herself at the demon attacking her brother, kicking and punching out. She grabbed a statue from the path and hurled it at the demon, giving Alec enough breathing space to strike out as well, landing a solid enough kick that the creature reeled.

Magnus blasted it while it was distracted. Ash rained down on the startled group of descendent Nephilim.

Footsteps behind him heralded the arrival of the other warlocks.

"Told you they'd come in handy," said Ragnor, with only slightly tired humour.

Ragnor had never had the same wariness of Nephilim other downworlders had; he correctly presumed himself to be their superior, so they were nothing more than slightly useful spoiled brats in his aged eyes.

Magnus rushed forward to where Alec was crouched on the ground, Izzy hovering over him. He didn't have enough attention to spare for the others, but he hoped they were ok too.

Crouching down next to Alec, he saw a tear in his arm from the wrist to the elbow, black edged and oozing dark red blood at an alarming rate.

He could stop the bleeding, but he didn't have enough power left to clean it; the demonic contamination needed to be banished.

"Here," came a softer voice on his right. Dorothea leant her own magic and cleansed the wound while Magnus closed it up. He could feel Alec's eyes on him the whole time but he didn't dare meet the boy's eyes. This was going to be hard to explain.

"Well, Magnus," said Ragnor when he stood up, "they're your friends, do we take their memories or explain?"

"Explain, please," said Alec in a strained voice. Izzy was hugging her brother with her whole body, and Clary seemed to be in a somewhat protective stance over Jace. Simon just looked confused.

"I've seen one of those before," said Izzy, sounding remarkably calm compared to her normal manic energy.

"Where?" Asked Clary, her voice barely shaking.

"There's a painting," she said. "It shows one of the Lightwoods fighting something that looked like... well... like that. I thought it was a representation of... something mortal." She actually half smiled at that.

"You're all taking this very well," said Ragnor, which Magnus thought was generous. Simon seemed to be in shock, and Jace was shaking. Magnus finally looked at Alec, not able to keep his eyes away any longer. Alec was staring at him, his eyes expressionless. Eyes.

"Shit," muttered Magnus, glamouring his eyes quickly, but the damage was done. They'd seen his real eyes.

"Look, Magnus," said Ragnor, still sounding so very reasonable. "There aren't enough warlocks left in the world to contain this threat on our own. It was down to Shadowhunters the first time we banished the demons. I think we need them again."

"W-what's a Shadowhunter?" Asked Izzy.

"You are," said Ragnor, uncharacteristically kindly. It seemed no one could really react badly to Izzy. "You all are. Except that one," he said, waving at Simon dismissively.

Simon's mouth opened wider. Magnus was surprised, too. He'd sort of assumed they were all children of the Nephilim. The demon must have showed itself to him, otherwise he would be in a very different state now. Edomites  _were_ creatures of fear. You can't scare someone if they can't see you.

"I can't exactly summon an Angel to show you all, but here," said Ragnor, and before Magnus could stop him, he'd sent a pulse of magic at all of them, even Simon. Magnus saw their eyes unfocus as they absorbed the memories Ragnor had shown them. Memories, Magnus assumed, of their ancestors, and of the closing of the rift; the story of how they'd come to be.

Ragnor was skilled in this kind of magic; they'd be unable to doubt the veracity of their new memories.

Alec was still holding his arm that had been injured. Magnus was itching to take a look at it; make sure it had completely healed, but he wasn't sure Alec would want him anywhere near right now.

"Thank you," said Clary at barely more than a whisper. "Thank you for..." She didn't seem to know what to say about the demon so she just gestured.

"You're welcome, young Lady," said Ragnor, surprised.

Magnus turned to him and noticed it was just him. The other warlocks seemed to have disappeared.

"Catarina?" He asked.

"She's fine," he said, smiling. "Now should I leave you to your Nephilim, or...?"

Magnus couldn't think of anything worse than being left on his own with his new friends, but he jerked a nod anyway.

"Very well. Portal to me when you're done." With that, Ragnor was stepping through his own portal and then it was gone. The empty darkness seemed to wrap them all in silence.

"Are you ok, Magnus?" Asked Clary, finally. "Do you need a drink, or...?"

Magnus was more touched than he could express by her kindness. "Thank you, biscuit, but I'm ok." He continued to stand awkwardly, not looking at Alec, not really looking at anything, letting them all process, until Izzy clucked her tongue.

"Well there's no use dealing with this out here. It's warm inside and I have blankets and I can make hot drinks." She didn't let go of Alec as he got to his feet, and it looked like she wasn't going to stop touching him for a little while yet. Simon came over to hold her other hand. The three of them led the way inside. Clary helped Jace, who was staring into the middle distance, to his feet. Magnus came over to help and Clary smiled her thanks.

"I have a weird feeling I've done this before," she said slightly shakily. "But I doubt there's been a surplus of demons running around in my life."

"Oh," said Magnus sadly, not knowing what else to say. She still had the other Clary buried in there. It would make dealing with this even more difficult as she struggled with the other consciousness.

They found the other three in the lounge. Magnus couldn't stop his eyes seeking out Alec and finally their eyes met. Alec jerked a smile. It was so out of the blue that it dragged Magnus to a stop. Clary deposited Jace in an armchair and draped him with a blanket.

"I'll make us some tea," she said gently and disappeared into the kitchen. Jace watched her go like she'd taken something vital to his existence with her.

Magnus, encouraged by the half smile, sat on the couch next to Alec, on the other side from Izzy.

He pulled a blanket over so it covered the other two. Izzy was cuddled up to her brother on his left side, but Magnus thought it might not be fitting with the seriousness of his role were he to do the same thing. But how he wanted to...

Alec's hand snaked across Magnus's leg and grasped his hand.

Magnus smiled at him, his heart swelling to twice the normal size. Alec still looked pale, but he wasn't shaking. He was smiling at Magnus like he was trying to reassure him. And it was working.

Magnus cleared his throat. "So, any questions?" He asked the group in general.

"I'm..." started Simon, who was sitting in an armchair. "So, I'm not... not one of you?" He asked carefully.

Magnus shook his head gently. "You're what we call a mundane. Not part of the shadow world. Be thankful."

"If by "shadow world" you mean, surplus of demons, I think I might be." He laughed weakly. Magnus winked at him. That was definitely the right attitude.

"What happened to Alec? He was really badly injured." Asked Izzy.

"I'm fine, Izzy," said Alec before Magnus could reply.

"We healed him. It was a demon wound; it needed a warlock healing. It wouldn't have healed on its own."

"So you're a... you're a warlock," said Alec with a small shaky laugh. "Well I guess... thanks for the healing."

"You're welcome."

"What happened to your eyes?" Asked Izzy.

"They're my real eyes," said Magnus. "They distinguish me as a warlock. I usually use magic to disguise them."

"They're cool," said Simon, sort of blankly, his eyes a little unfocused as he took it all in.

"Are you all insane?" Cut in Jace. He was staring at the trio intently.

Clary came back through door with a tray of hot drinks and everyone avoided Jace's eyes. Magnus waved his hand gently to relieve her of the burden. The tray floated gently down to the coffee table. With another wave he distributed the drinks. Izzy sat up properly to sip hers.

Magnus could feel the after effects of the potion wearing off. He was going to crash badly and soon.

Clary sat on the arm of Jace's armchair and rubbed his back slowly. "Maybe we need a night to process this," she said, and Magnus noticed she was looking straight at him with a look of concern. His fatigue must be more obvious than he thought.

"Come on," she said to Jace, without waiting for a reply. She grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet. Izzy squeezed Alec and stood as well. Simon joined her. The four of them disappeared upstairs. Clary seemed able to keep Jace together and Izzy and Simon were stable. That left Alec. Maybe he should have stayed with Izzy.

"Are you going to be ok by yourself?" Asked Magnus.

"What do you mean?" Asked Alec.

What did he mean? "I- I just..."

"Come upstairs. You'll be more comfortable," he said, tugging slightly on Magnus's hand. Magnus followed the pressure as Alec stood up.

Alec led him upstairs, holding his hand tightly.

Magnus hesitated on the doorstep. "You don't... you don't mind?"

"That my boyfriend has magic powers? It's not what I was expecting, but you're still you. And you _did_ just save my life."

The shock combined with the tiredness and Magnus couldn't physically stand anymore; he sat on the bed heavily. Alec knelt down in front of him. "Can I see your real eyes?"

Magnus blinked, lifting the glamour. A feeling of relief covered him. Even that tiny bit of magic was too much right now. Alec put his hand against his cheek, looking deeply into the demonic cat eyes with pleasure. "They're so beautiful," he said. "You're so beautiful, Magnus."

Magnus's eyes filled with tears. He was too tired to keep his emotions in check. He couldn't remember the last time someone had told him he was beautiful. If they ever had.

Alec leant forward cautiously and pressed his lips against Magnus's more chastely than he ever had. "You must be exhausted," he said quietly.

Magnus let out a breath shakily. "You have no idea," he said.

Alec leant down and started untying Magnus's shoes, pulling them off one at a time. He stretched up and started unbuttoning his shirt. Magnus didn't dare breathe. Although they'd had sex in this very bed the day before, this was an unprecedented intimacy. Alec's hands felt like fire against his skin as he smoothed them under the shirt, pushing it off. He dropped his hands to Magnus's trousers and unbuttoned them, pulling them off just as slowly. He pushed Magnus back onto the bed and covered him with the blanket.

He then crawled in next to him, cuddling into his side, sharing his warmth. Magnus was asleep in a matter of minutes, but he went to sleep with a smile on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

"He used an extreme amount of power." The voice was quiet but it pierced Magnus like an arrow. He felt like he had a hangover to kill all hangovers.

"What if he's not ok?"

"Should we wake him?"

"Too late."

They'd noticed he was awake. He groaned and opened his eyes. A sharp intake of breath told him his eyes weren't glamoured. Oh well. They'd seen them.

"What should we do?"

"They are _so_ cool."

"Can we get you anything?" Only the last comment seemed to be directed at him.

He shook his head, closing his eyes again. The bedroom light was too bright.

"Hey Alec," said a voice. Simon. "Your boyfriend is an actual wizard." Magnus groaned louder. "Sorry. Warlock."

"Sorry, Magnus," said Alec's voice gently and he felt a hand lay against his cheek. "They were really worried about you. So was I."

"What time is it?" He asked with a voice full of sand.

"Dinner time. You've been asleep almost 24 hours."

"Makes sense," he grunted. He tried to sit up and Alec's hands helped him. The other four humans were gathered around his bed. Clary was holding a cup of tea that she wordlessly handed to him. He accepted it gratefully.

Jace seemed to have recovered, and Simon and Izzy looked mostly excited. Clary looked sad. His stomach rumbled. The others must have heard it. Izzy grinned at Simon and they both skipped from the room saying they'd be back. Those two were way too happy.

Jace muttered an excuse and left, too. Clary smiled sadly and followed him with a little wave at Magnus.

"You ok?" Asked Alec.

"Ok is a relative term," he said, rolling slightly so he was tucked into Alec and took a sip of the tea. It tasted delicious in his current state of exhaustion.

Alec rubbed his back gently. "I don't think I quite thanked you enough for saving our lives yesterday."

"Well, thank _you_ for not dying on me," muttered Magnus.

"Is that just what you do? Save people's lives?"

"Only people I like," he said facetiously. "And not for a very long time."

"Why not? Your friend showed us the end of the war with the demons, but why did you stop being a warlock? I mean, you still could have helped people."

It was too early to have this conversation. "Can we do this later?" Asked Magnus.

"Sorry," said Alec.

At that moment, a rattle of crockery preceded Simon and Izzy back into the bedroom. Izzy was carrying a tray, which she placed before Magnus with a flourish.

"Thank you," said Magnus.

"This is the least we could do after you _literally_ saved our lives."

"Well, when you're ready to come down and talk, we're ready. Everyone wants to learn all about their powers," said Simon. "Even the mundane wants to help," he pointed to himself as he said it. "Ridding the world of demons? Sign me up."

Magnus groaned even louder.

 

***

 

They weren't in the lounge when Magnus and Alec made it downstairs.

"They're in the gallery," said Alec.

"How do you...?"

Alec shrugged. "It's where I want to be right now."

Alec led the way. The others were gathered around the painting that Izzy had mentioned. It was indeed an Edomite; Matthew Lightwood had held off dozens of them while the Warlocks had worked on the rift. A rattle of keys drew Alec's attention instantly.

"How did you...?" He asked.

Izzy just grinned. "I made myself a set of these keys when I was nine," she scoffed. She pushed her glasses up her nose and peered around the gallery.

"Any of this stuff actually useful?" She asked, gesturing at the artefacts. Most were downworlder artifacts, but then he saw the case with steles. _A warlock is going to teach Nephilim their own culture_ , he thought with grim humour.

He beckoned them all around it.

"Those are weapons?" Asked Simon disbelievingly.

"Before we open it," he said, foreseeing a problem suddenly, "if anyone marks Simon with one of these, he will die." That sobered them up, but Simon didn't stay serious for long.

"You can _draw_ with them?"

The others all groaned with Magnus this time.

"Mum's gonna kill us," said Izzy happily, before opening the case.

Magnus leant down to pick up the steles. He had never liked these things. He'd run across the agony rune in his past life, and as his only experience with steles, it would forever be associated.

He summoned his grey book with his other hand.

The others all drew back instinctually as the heavy grey book appeared on the glass cover out of nowhere.

"I can't use these," he said.

"Why not?" Asked Jace immediately. _Because they don't respond to demon blood_ , he wanted to snap, but he just breathed.

"Because they only respond to those with angel blood. Nephilim. They were a gift from the Angel when he gave the Nephilim his blood. They are used to draw runes," he gestured to the book, "on your skin to enhance your natural abilities. You can also draw runes on weapons to give them strength, or on doors to create protection." His head wanted to reel off even more, but he had to stop himself. "They have a lot of purposes," he finished lamely.

"And these are the runes?" Asked Izzy, reaching for the book.

"No," he snapped. His tiredness was still getting the better of him. "If you look at too many you'll get ill. They're very powerful. You can't just flip through this book."

Alec seemed to pick up on his tension and Magnus felt his hands on his shoulders, squeezing gently and rhythmically. The consideration more than the actual massage released the tension in his muscles.

"Listen," he said seriously, his stomach twisting to look at these eager youngsters. "I'm not going to lie to you." He suddenly realised what being completely truthful was going to look like and put the steles and grey book in the case and closed the top. Then he sat on the ground. The others looked down at him, blinking owlishly, before, like a class of small children, they sat awkwardly in a circle around him.

"You can tell us anything," said Alec.

"Ok, first off, warlocks have demon blood," he said, holding his breath in fear. The others looked confused. "That's where our power comes from. All Downworlders, that's the name for vampires, werewolves, warlocks and seelies, have some amount of demon blood."

"Downworlders?" Asked Clary. "That doesn't sound like a flattering moniker."

"Yeah, well, Shadowhunters named us that, and for some reason it stuck." He tried not to sound bitter but Clary laughed.

"You don't like Shadowhunters much do you?"

"Before the last war against demons, Shadowhunters ruled the shadow world. They were stronger, more organised, and less divided by their natures. They weren't always... nice... to Downworlders."

"Because of your demon blood?"

"Yeah," he said harshly.

"Wow, that makes sense. Then why are you helping us if our ancestors were terrible to you?"

"I'm not helping you," he said frankly, "that's what I wanted to talk about."

"Not helping us? You're making sure we know our natures. You're showing us how to use our... equipment? ... even though you can't use it. That sounds like help." Said Alec.

"How far back do I have to go?" He asked rhetorically. "Before the last war, demons threatened mundanes. Shadowhunters and Downworlders, most of them, had one goal; get rid of demons. Many died trying. Eventually we won. Even in winning, many died." He said it bluntly. "Now demons are back and we need as much help winning again as we can get. According to Ragnor, that means the last living Nephilim need to be taught to use their blood again. Even though winning will mean the same thing as last time." When they only stared at him, he added. "Many will die."

"Oh."

There was a prolonged silence, one Magnus was hesitant to break, but he had to lay it all out. "So if you want me to take your memories, I will. You will know nothing about this world."

"But the demons will still be here."

"Yes, and you will probably still be able to see them, but I can take your memories every time. I want you all to think about it carefully, because once I take your memories, you won't be able to just ask for them back."

"You want to, don't you?" Asked Clary carefully.

Magnus thought about the question, then nodded. "Three hundred years ago, I would never have dreamed of helping Shadowhunters like you guys. It just wasn't done. You would occasionally pay for my services, and we all found that transaction... distasteful. But you guys are good people. I don't want you involved in a war."

"But you'll be involved no matter what?" Asked Alec, and Magnus realised Alec had been squeezing his hand tightly. He flexed his hand, but he didn't really want to loosen the tight grip.

"I have to," he said, surprised at the question.

"Then so do we," said Jace suddenly. "If we don't, and demons win, then it'll be because of us."

Magnus stared at Jace. That wasn't the mundane Jace talking. Maybe it was the memories working on a deep buried facet of his personality.

Everyone else was staring at Jace, too, but it wasn't in confusion. They were all smiling. And nodding. And looking back at Magnus. He could see the agreement they'd all come to.

"Ok," he said. "Let's start with the basics."


	7. Chapter 7

"What about our parents?" Asked Clary, quietly. The others were practicing runes with pen and paper, but after reproducing perfect runes every time, Clary had decided talking to Magnus was more important.

"I don't know your parents," said Magnus, shrugging.

"I don't want them to get involved," said Clary quickly. "They're such gentle people. I don't know if they'd be able to be involved in a war."

"They'd probably say the same about you." Magnus' gut twisted at Clary wanting to protect her parents. He envied her that love. And he was going to be responsible for risking their child.

"We're all fighters. We've been doing kickboxing since we were small." Magnus smiled. "My parents don't know how to fight. And Maryse and Robert." The Lightwood parents, Alec had told him, "they're nice people but they're a bit..." Her face twisted when she said it.

"Remember when Ragnor told us we'd need everyone?" He asked rhetorically.

"We can't tell them," she said defiantly.

"I have to leave it up to you," said Magnus, and he felt like a coward for saying it. He had gone soft in his century of mundane life, but he didn't want to risk any of them.

Clary looked down and Magnus waited. She needed to say something. It had been clear since he woke up.

"What's wrong with me?" She asked. Magnus only sighed which Clary took as some kind of confirmation. "You know what I'm talking about," she said, half a question. "Like I remember all this stuff, and like I'm not the same person I was." Magnus could have shrugged it off. None of them were the same person they were, but Clary...

"Biscuit, I'm so sorry."

"Why?" She asked when he didn't continue fast enough for her.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"Oh yeah, you were the one that showed me the projections," she said, but something shifted behind her eyes as she said it. Her gaze seemed to sharpen. "That was magic, wasn't it?"

"It was, but it was magic used for a very specific purpose. It was to remind you of who you were, but it didn't work."

"But why didn't you just do what Ragnor did?"

"Because I didn't have enough power, but also because the version of you that I was trying to get through to had gone. Implanting memories would only have caused you fear if you weren't ready to receive them. It would not have brought the other Clary back."

"The other Clary?" She asked, fearful.

"Do you remember the day of the party? Not the party itself, but the day leading up to it?" He asked seriously.

She looked confused. "I went home to my parents, Dad was going to make waffles. But..." She trailed off, putting her hand to her mouth.

"But you don't remember eating them. Or leaving. Or getting ready for the party."

"No..." She whispered. "How did I not notice that?"

"Your brain must have been trying to protect you. Now, with everything going on, the memories of the other Clary are starting to make a bit more sense." He'd never seen it, he could honestly only guess. "Your body was overtaken by a version of you from another reality. She came to me seeking my help to save her world, because we knew each other in her reality; she knew I was a warlock."

"So what happened to her?"

"She assimilated. Your consciousness took over. I promised her world's Jace I would try to get her back, but I've never seen it done. I don't even know if it's possible," he admitted, feeling intense guilt at the thought. He'd known that when he promised.

"So what happened to her world?"

"I can only hope it was saved. The other world's Jace came through, and I was able to get him back through to his world. I was able to help him in their mission," Magnus's voice wobbled slightly on the word 'help'. "Hopefully he did what Clary had been trying to do."

"So I killed her?"

"No, biscuit," said Magnus, gently taking her hand. "She took a risk to save her world, and she didn't succeed. Your consciousness was stronger; that's not your fault."

"But if she's still in here..."

"Part of her would be, yes."

"Then we can save her."

"I don't know how."

"But all your warlock friends..." She took a breath. "Sorry, that was selfish of me. We have to stop the demons."

"I want to help, Clary, but..."

"But we have to stop the demons first," she finished, straightening her shoulders. "But after that's done, we save other world Clary and send her back to her Jace."

Magnus had rarely been so moved by a mortal. "Of course we will," he said, squeezing her hands.

 

***

 

"Alec?!" Screamed Izzy.

Alec was up and moving faster than Magnus could react, but he followed close.

A portal spun in the middle of the living room and in front stood a group of people, with Ragnor, bemused in the back.

"I brought more," he said, bored, stepping back through the portal. It disappeared behind him.

"Max?" Asked Alec in shock. A boy stepped in front of the group of adults and threw himself into Alec's arms.

The group of adults stared at Izzy, Alec, and Magnus. The group included Jocelyn and Valentine Morgenstern, but they were the only ones Magnus recognised. He assumed two of the adults were Alec and Izzy's parents, and the little boy was obviously their brother, Max, whom Alec had heard a lot about.

"Hi," said Magnus. He looked at Izzy, who looked as lost as he did. He was going to _kill_ Ragnor.

"Mum? Dad?" Clary's voice sounded the same as Izzy looked. Apparently the others had heard Izzy's scream.

"Clarissa?" Valentine and Jocelyn stepped forward uncertainly. Valentine hugged Clary tight, but his face didn't stop looking shocked. Clearly Ragnor had showed them the same memories, but Magnus guessed without an actual demon descending from the heavens, it was a little harder to wrap their heads around.

Clary extricated herself from her dad and turned to glare at Magnus. He put his hands up in defence. Ragnor was a law unto himself.

Alec cleared his throat and seemed to grow an inch of height as he straightened his shoulders. He looked like a Nephilim. Magnus shuddered slightly. What had he got himself into?

His friends were one thing. Now he had a room full of Nephilim. And he was expected to train them? Yes. He was going to kill Ragnor.

"Give me a second," he told the room full of Nephilim, and span his hands, creating a portal. He stepped through, ignoring the gasps from the room.

Ragnor was making potions. "Do you want to explain that?" He asked, with forced calm.

"You seemed fond of the Nephilim," said Ragnor, shrugging like that explained it.

He forced down the anger rising up. He recognised it as what it really was. Fear. But recognising that didn't stop the anger.

"I cannot train those Nephilim alone."

"Please, Magnus, don't be dramatic," he said, still not looking up. "I have already shown them the truth. All you need to do is make sure they don't kill each other. Or us."

"Easier said than done," muttered Magnus.

Ragnor flicked his hand over his shoulder and a portal appeared, sucking him back to the Lightwood manor. Magnus sighed. He couldn't make Ragnor anything other than what he was.

The new arrivals surrounded the existing group. When Magnus stepped into the room, they all drew back. He could read the fear easily. He sighed. He almost missed the haughty front they used to put on to cover the fear.

"He's a demon," one of them muttered. _I'm going to kill you, Ragnor._

All of his new friends came to stand by his side. "He saved our lives," said Clary, grasping his hand tightly. He squeezed back.

"And don't you think maybe pissing off a demon is not the smartest move?" Asked Simon. Izzy giggled.

"Thanks guys," he muttered. Wow. Was this really happening?

"So what that other demon told us..." one of the new arrival started.

"Ragnor," snapped Magnus, "and he's the man who will save us all from the real demons who want to take this world. We were hoping you would help us." He had enough of these Nephilim. When had he been put on babysitting duty?

Then he looked at his new friends and took a deep breath.


End file.
